Sekiranun
Cloud (積乱雲, Sekiran'un) is a Shinobi and Politician of the Shinsei Tribe who was a member of Kumogakure's Tengoku nationalist sect which was influential in the legislative and executive branches of Kumogakure's government. Sekiranun, served as special advisor to the group's parliamentary league before its dissolution by The Raikage, Sanda Arashi. Due to his patriotic and somewhat conservative stance on Kumo tradition, Sekiranun has been pegged as being somewhat of an 'extremist'. He was even among the few Shinobi within Tengoku who was in favour of proposing the expropriation of land and principalities from the Daimyo to be facilitated by the Shinobi Union (GD) even though such a thing would have invariably resulted in war. Background Sekiranun was born in the remote ancestral community of his tribe isolated deep in the mountains of Kumogakure's northern province. From an early age he was influenced by his father's fascination with antiquities, the esoteric knowledge of Kumogakure's pre-history, and commitment to his country and utopian ideology. Like his father, Sekiranun developed a predilection for Kumo based imperialism. After his initial stages of a traditional Kumogakure education at a local monastery Sekiranun moved to the capital at the age of nine to live with a relative who was a retainer of the Raikage. It was discovered early on that the child was incredibly gifted with a unique overwhelming abundance in his chakra affinity, akin to that of a Jinchuuriki. It is believed that this was due to the location of his birth and a direct result of his attunement with the ancestral plain. Others believed that it was the dormant chakra of a malevolent entity. Abilities ]]Sekiranun was a ninja of prodigious talent, consistently showing prowess well-beyond his years and rising rapidly through the ninja ranks. As a consequence of his nature, many became apprehensive, as it was discovered at a very young age that Sekiranun possessed a gift in chakra abundance. A blessing which nearly cost him and his family their lives. On one such occasion, during a confrontation with another young boy, Sekiranun lost control and invoked a terrible storm which leveled his home, nearly destroyed his community and harmed his family. To tame his abilities his father taught him to channel his emotions through meditation in order to achieve a state of equilibrium and to discipline his body through the use of taijutsu to maximize his physical endurance. It wasn't until a little after the chunin exams that he began to tap into his latent potential in the form of improvisational lightning-based Nintaijutsu. By the time he reached adulthood, his father helped him to maximize his potential upon unlocking a special transformation known as Heaven's Gate To that end, while in this awakened state Sekiranun has displayed extraordinary speed (exhibited by a blinding flash of electricity) and can generate powerful bolts of lightning from his palm without hand signs; (Note: The Shinsei clan is known for their innate electrochemical (electro plasma) cells which gives them an extremely high affinity for lightning-based Jutsu at very little expense.) By the second sequence (7 years later) Clouds fighting style has been altered somewhat; incorporating Kenjutsu techniques to channel lightning and or wind release chakra - having trained alongside an old Ronin by the name of Ryong (infamously known as The Devil's Verdict in the Land of Iron ) He was much too old and was mostly too tired for confrontation so he spent most of his days sipping tea and fishing. He took a shine to Cloud after a while given that the two of them had developed a mutual respect for one another as outcasts. He discovered the young Cloud Ninja unconscious; malnourished and scarred (with a broken arm) from battle. Someone or something had apparently been hunting the young cloud shinobi and Ryong was well aware of whom that might have been. Bandits were quite troublesome in those days, and one, in particular, their leader by the name of Kagato had a rather useful Dark Release technique which made him a formidable foe. Ryong himself was living in a secluded space in a fjord near the highest cliffside hidden away from the conflict. Cloud had some difficulty recovering at first as he had been overcome by fever, and even in this state he sought to leave however, Ryong did not permit him to exit. It wasn't until the two of them were ambushed some months later, that they had to rely on their combined skills to defeat their enemies. Although victorious Ryong was critical of Clouds fighting style. He went on to say that Cloud was simply unnecessarily destructive and not only wasted far too much chakra in an abrasive and redundant form but left himself wide open for attack. Ryong suggested that the young Shinobi try and channel his techniques with swift precision and elegant destruction. Given Clouds current state he was unable to utilize his normal style and resolved to train with Ryong who taught him how to admix kenjutsu without compromising the integrity of his original style, but rather, improving upon it. Ideology By the age of 19 he joined Kumo Council. Sekiranun pushed for structural social, political, and economic reform, which was partially reflected in efforts to remove unjust taxation and patrimonialism, while bureaucratic rationalism and the elimination of noble privileges were promoted. Sekiranun exerted a considerable degree of influence over the Raikages making of policy, which was compounded by the influence of other senior policymakers that were informally grouped as the 'Tengoku' - a loose grouping that advised the Raikage to 'promote kumo nationalism and industrialization' or risk losing the competitive edge against in the international community. Sekiranun became famous as provincial governor, militarist, and for his part in amending several flaws of Kumogakure constitution. He believed Kumogakure to be a far superior, just and humane society by comparison to all others and desired to seize autonomy and dominate the global economy whilst pushing for the hegemony of Kumogakure's culture a goal which could only be achieved, he felt, through a colonial archetype whereby ending all wars via 100 years of absolute authoritarianism. Conflict By the age of 21, Under the patronage of the Raikage, Sekiranun first was made governor of a northern province, and his efforts at this post gave him "a reputation for enlightened administration," according to the locals "much of the credit for the transformation of an old town from a garrison town to a modern urban centre goes to Sekiranun". Despite his work, however, Sekiranun was removed from his post and arrested for treason (having been suspected of a coup attempt): with claims made that he was developing a new model of government which declared itself a progressive expansionist model, albeit under a Monarch in lieu a Raikage; although this was never officially proven. He was later acquitted and released but Tengoku was disbanded and he was given a less direct role in government affairs. Despite this, he displayed enterprise and a dedication to duty, Sekiranun had an independent character which often led him into conflict with the Raikage, and despite the demonstration of his skill as governor of northern province, because of his early Tengoku connections and the civil unrest that had gripped the capital (demonstrations made by Tengoku sympathizers), Sekiranun, was apprehended again and kept under house arrest for some time given his acrimonious relations with the elite. After his release from house arrest, the Raikage attempted to amend their relationship and found another use for Sekiranun: he was given the duty of drafting the another Constitution of the nation to reconcile the needs of the masses within the confines of the nations traditional laws. Sekiranun "could be said to have been waiting almost all his life for just an occasion"; however, his draft was subjected to close scrutiny by the Raikage and his associates, who modified Sekiranun's text "to meet their standard." Changes included the legislative powers granted to the parliament were reduced, and instead of Sekiranun's proposal that the deputies be appointed the final draft made them elected. Three months after the promulgation of the constitution, Sekiranun was made Minister of Finance, but he lasted in that office barely more than a month. It is believed the reason for this brief tenure was due to an attempt made on his life given his many conflicts not only with other ministers but with the Raikage himself. Initially, in spite of their differences, the two seemed to maintain a cordial relationship as they had the same goal in mind which was to preserve and protect the welfare of the villages. But this placed Sekiranun at odds with the Raikage whom he felt responsible for the attempt at his life. At some point, Sekiranun went into exile: it is wildly believed that he was hunted down and killed by Anbu Black Ops. The Raikage explicitly denied having any involvement in the so-called assassination when questioned by a few of his peers who were sympathetic to Sekiranun's cause. It is also believed that those closest to the Raikage acted clandestinely and felt the need to take matters into their own hands. ( Spoiler )Sekiranun went into exile and became an immigrant to the Land Of Demons known as Cloud (Note: An alternate version of this story suggests that he leaves and at some point joins the Akatuski.) Acting Raikage Following the circumstances surrounding his exile Sekiranun would later return to his village exonerated of all charges during the middle of a crisis. The former Raikage Sanda Arashi had fallen deathly ill in the face of an impending crisis which loomed over the village. It is said that he had been poisoned gradually over time into a weakened state. Conflicts with the Land Of Demons had culminated to a point where small localized conflicts had found their way into Kumogakure. Those who were against Sanda Arashi had grown sympathetic towards rebel groups and endorsed the fight against the current administration, during which time Cloud was designated and appointed as acting Raikage to oversee events surrounding the civil war. Personality "Imagine that life in each country existed in a state of détente, a balance between each country scrupulously maintained through the ages" His fatalism and lust for power is fueled by his desire for Utopia; the true cunning and subtlety of his actions are only exposed to those smart enough to see through his endless deceptions. He is rarely forthright about his intentions choosing to build a network of interconnected (though disassociated) allies who operate on his behalf. This being due to his paranoia of potential traitors. Though Sekiranun possesses many character flaws, he appreciates honesty to a fault, and - except when working covertly in the Land of Demons - has never consciously lied to another individual throughout his travels, only telling half or partial truths when necessary. As a leader, he values loyalty, and despises insubordination, arguing that "cowards and traitors deserve no second thoughts only to be hunted down and slaughtered. like pigs" Sekiranun has often been described as sharing a few similar personality traits with the Fourth Raikage, owing to his obdurate pride and steadfast resolve. While his apparent lack of diplomacy seems to stem from his short and violent temper, in reality, it is a carefully cultivated tool. Above all else, Sekiranun's ultimate agenda - to build an Empire and ensure peace among the nations - are partially moral and benevolent at the very least, but he later realizes his goal may be beyond his reach. Sekiranun is described as a cunning and relentless individual, characterized by his heroism, ambition, noble stature and fatalism. As a young boy, he briefly became misanthropic; expressing disgust and a "growing disaffection for humankind" upon witnessing the death of his mother, who died at the hands of a Shinobi from the Land of Demons while defending secrets of Kumogakure. He becomes cynical, and initially apathetic about saving the Shinobi world having lost his resolve. Following his refusal to sacrifice himself any longer, though, he was internally burdened by his conscience, shouldering a "mass of doubt and regret" in the notion that "the fate of the world may hang dependent upon the advisedness of his every deed". Hastily accepting the offer of revenge from a mysterious figure, and desperate to prevent his nature from consuming him, Sekiranun fell into the role of an "unwilling pawn", and went to the Land of Demons to find his mother's killer. Since he was very young he was taught to keep his emotions in check and to separate his personal feelings from his duty both as a Shinobi of Kumogakure and the voice of his elected seat. Consequently, Sekiranun became adept at solving a great many issues as a pragmatist however his logical nature sometimes leads to emotionless conclusions; sacrifices made for the greater good. It wasn't until Sekiranun met his best friend Hideto Takarai, that he learned to evaluate circumstances with emotional substance to understand people better as individuals and learn to empathize with them. Appearance and Characteristics Sekiranun is 172.72 cm and has a lean slightly muscular build. He typically wears a fitted black knee-length coat. Sekiranun is described as "always scanning his surroundings", and "has the silky voice of a sociopath (and) the resigned stance of a soldier" and projected an unflappable determination that confounded his fellow Shinobi, as, he could not afford to be vulnerable or even appear human, forcing him to push others away out of fear that upon gaining such attachments that his feelings could be leveraged against him by his enemies. Later, following his friendship with Hideto Takarai, Sekiranun, now in exile was willing to show a side of himself that he was not with the others; something that is lighter and more colorful. However, Sekiranun often is outwardly taciturn and stoic, rarely allowing the dangerous element he's frequently surrounded by to penetrate his thoughts.